A Call to Arms

Reaching out through new channels to make change in NYS

What’s Behind The Call

• The Upstate economy has lagged for far too long, jobs have been lost, families are leaving for better opportunities

• If Upstate is to regain its economic prominence, we must change the way “business” is conducted in Albany

How We Got to This Point

• Years of bad budgeting have created out- of-control state spending

• Examples:– Since 2000, the budget has increased from

$75B to $131.8B– If they had followed CPI, the budget would be

roughly $100B

What Taxpayers Face According to the State Comptroller, property tax burdens in

New York are 60% higher than the national average Upstate has the top 10 highest county property tax rates in

the nation as a share of home value And the cost just keeps going up. To close the budget gap:

The Legislature added $700M in assessments to health insurers, which they passed on in higher premiums

Also enacted more than $8B in new taxes The Result: The average family of four pays an additional

$1,300 this year and get nothing additional for it

What Albany Did About It– A “coup” stopped the state’s business for more than

40 days in June/July– The state spent $1M to defend the appointment of a

Lt. Gov– Two “extraordinary sessions” in November yield a

modest $2.7B DRP, with no long term cuts but small changes and unfortunate revenue grabs

This is not a revenue issue but a spending issues and the business and taxpayers have had ENOUGH. No more nickel and diming

Unshackle Upstate’s Solution

• Educate taxpayers about the issues in Albany that affect their taxes and the quality of life in Upstate

• Empower taxpayers to have a voice, to demand that their legislators address these issues NOW.

• Motivate taxpayers to become voters and to choose in the November statewide election officials who will truly represent their interests

How Will Unshackle Do That?

• By taking our information and our message directly to taxpayers and voters through social media

• By connecting taxpayers and voters directly to each other through social media

• By using social media to enlist an Unshackle Upstate Army, with a call to action

Why Social Media?• Access to greater grassroots development• Information sharing is nearly real-time• People choose to follow you• Allows for a 2 way dialogue between us

and our supporters• The 2008 presidential race proved it can

work

Building a Social Network

Channel content is promoted and posted to blogs.

Blogs are driving traffic to the content channels.

Channel content is posted to profiles.

Profiles drive traffic to the content channels.

Blogs will drive traffic and members to the profiles.

Profiles are promoted to the blogs.

Blogosphere

Social Networks

Social Content

Friends and fans join your network and contribute

•Image ads•Site targeting

A Simple Premise• 1 person joins & 50 find out, 80,000 people join & 4,000,000 find out

1 Fan

Broadcast the event to all their friends

“Brian Sampson just became a fan of Unshackle Upstate”

Broadcast the event to all their friends

“Brian Sampson just became a fan of Unshackle Upstate”

50

500,000

10,000

The Unshackle Army

• A united and dynamic force for change in NYS • A place where people can fight to lower taxes, create

jobs, and improve New York's failing economy• A megaphone for Upstate New Yorkers to express their

ideas, thoughts, concerns, etc. and be HEARD through Unshackle Upstate

• The more members, the stronger the Army’s voice will become

• Our main goal: Recruit 1 million active members to join the Unshackle Army so our voice is heard in the 2010 elections.

Let’s Take A Look

• http://www.facebook.com/unshackleupstate • http://twitter.com/unshackleny• http://www.youtube.com/user/UNShackleup

state• http://www.unshackleupstate.com/army

Thank You

• For copies of this presentation, please email brian.sampson@unshackleupstate.com